Untouchable
by ButterflyKai
Summary: Rogue is all alone, separate from everyone because of her powers. But then Cori Wright and Quip Swentle stumble upon Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and finally, there is someone who can relate to Rogue.
1. Chapter 1: The Mysterious Pair

Untouchable

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Pair

A boy with black hair and yellow eyes, wearing a black suit with black gloves, pulled a seemingly lifeless body up to Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters. The body he was dragging was that of a girl with brown hair. She was wearing combat boots and black jeans. She had a tight blue turtleneck and black gloves. The boy leaned the girl's body against the wall and knocked on the door.

Jean Grey opened the door, looking down at the girl with concern.

"Please, you have to help her…." The boy said. Jean nodded.

"Here, we'll bring her to the infirmary." Jean lifted her hand and the girl's body rose into the air. The boy followed her in.

"You have to be very careful with her," the boy said nervously. "You can't touch her."

"I can't help her if I can't touch her."

"Jean," Professor Xavier rolled down the hall toward them. "Please, do as the boy says."

"Yes, professor." Jean nodded.

"What is your name?" Xavier asked.

"Quip Swentle. And this is Cori Wright. Please, you have to help her. She's all I have."

"We will make sure your friend is okay, Quip. What brought you here?"

"It's morning, that's what."

"Why don't you come with me, Quip?"

"No, I need to stay with Cori."

"I promise, Jean will take good care of her. If you come with me, I can help you." Xavier smiled kindly. Quip hesitantly went with him into an empty room.

"Now, how did you find this school?"

"Cori and I ran away. We had to. No one understands her."

"Except you?"

"Well, sort of…. I'm the only one who doesn't treat her like a freak."

"She's dangerous, though, isn't she?"

"Yeah…. She can't touch anyone…."

"Ah, like our Rogue…."

"There are other people like that?"

"Yes, there are. Cori is not alone."

"But, when she touches someone, their blood freezes on contact. Completely."

"Ah, I see."

"And that's not all…. At night, she turns into a wolf. But the fuller the moon, the more the wolf she becomes. Except on the new moon, she doesn't transform at all."

"How long have you been traveling together, Quip?"

"For a few weeks. Cori always has me go up in a tree or something before night fall. We have no other way."

"What can you do, Quip?"

"Me? I can see when someone is going to die. And I can't die. I don't have healing powers, but I just won't die."

"How did you discover this?"

"The night Cori's powers came…."

~Flashback~

Cori, who has blue-green eyes, and Quip were sitting up in a tree, watching the sunset.

"Can you see the death date of the sun?" Cori asked.

"No. I think it's too far away." Quip smiled. Cori did, too. The sun set, and Cori started transforming.

"Cori…?" Quip said nervously. Cori looked around frantically as she became a wolf, and she howled. The branch broke, and they fell to the ground.

"Cori…." Quip looked over at her as he lost consciousness from hitting his head on the ground. Cori whimpered, having broken some bones from the fall.

~End Flashback~

"Cori broke a leg and my neck was broken. I should have died. The doctors couldn't explain how I'd survived. That's when I realized that I couldn't die. We weren't found until morning, so no one knew that Cori had transformed."

"That must have been painful."

"It was. Especially for Cori. I told her what happened, and she made sure she was away from everyone at night. Then, when she was visiting me in the hospital, the nurse touched her hand to tell her it was time to leave. But the nurse was frozen on contact.

"Cori was scared. She ran away. When I got out of the hospital, I searched for her. I found her in the forest and told her that I didn't care if she was a mutant, because I am too. She didn't want to hurt me again. I told her that I would be fine, that it hurt more to be away from her.

"So then, we started traveling. Last night, though, Cori was caught in a bear trap. When she transformed back, I helped her pry it off her foot, but she had lost a lot of blood, and passed out…."

"Don't worry, Quip. We will help Cori. And the two of you are welcome to stay here as long as you wish."

"Professor," Cyclops came in, glanced at Quip, then turned back to Xavier. "Jean thinks Magneto may be sending someone here."

"Scott, this is Quip. Quip, this is Scott. He's one of my finest, earliest students."

"It's nice to meet you." Cyclops nodded to Quip.

"Can I see Cori, now?" Quip asked. Xavier smiled, nodding.

"Scott, would you take Quip down to Jean and his friend in the infirmary. They had a very rough night."

Cyclops nodded and led Quip to the infirmary.

"Who's Magneto?" Quip asked quietly.

"He's a bad guy. He manipulates people. Don't worry about it."

They reached the infirmary, and Quip ran to the gurney with Cori lying on it, her left boot lying on the floor, her foot wrapped in gauze, with some blood seeping through.

"Thank you," Quip said quietly to Jean, who smiled.

"Did you tell Professor Xavier?" Jean asked Cyclops, who nodded, glancing again at Quip.

"He disregarded it."

"I'm sure he read it all in your mind…."

"Yeah, probably. That's probably actually better."

"Um, excuse me," Quip turned to them. "That other guy told me that there were other people here who can't be touched…. I think it would be good for Cori if she met someone like her…."

"He means Rogue," Jean said. "When Cori comes to, I'll make sure she meets Rogue."

"How long will Cori be in here?"

"Just until her blood levels return, and she gains consciousness."

"How long will that take?"

"I'm not sure, she lost a lot of blood. It's a miracle she is still alive."

"Will it be over night?"

"Probably."

"Um, could you give her something to make her sleep at night?"

"Why?"

"She transforms into a wolf. That's how she got hurt…. Bear trap…."

"That's awful…. I can sedate her at night, if that will keep her safe."

"It will…. I know it will…." Quip held Cori's gloved hand.

Later that day, Jean returned to the infirmary to see that Quip hadn't moved from Cori's side.

"Quip…." Jean put a hand on his shoulder. "You need to eat. Why don't you go meet some of the other students?"

"No. I want to stay with Cori. It's getting dark, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Could you make sure she stays asleep with medicine?"

Jean didn't say anything. She just took a syringe from a cabinet and inserted the needle into the IV and injected the sedative into Cori.

A little while later, Cori's body became that of a wolf. Jean came down to check on her, and saw that Quip still had not left her. Instead, he was petting her brown fur.

"I thought you said that she could not be touched," Jean said.

"When she's a wolf, she doesn't freeze people. It's like, only one mutation can work at a time."

"Interesting. Do you think I could take a blood sample?"

"I don't know. She's really afraid of needles. So we'll have to get this IV out of her before she wakes up."

"Oh, I see. But she won't know if I take a sample now, will she?"

"No. But if she finds out, she'll get upset."

"Oh. Well, then we just won't tell her." Jean smiled and got a syringe and took a sample of Cori's blood. "There we go. Now, I can see if there is a way for her to control her abilities."

"You'd do that?"

"Of course." Jean smiled pleasantly. "You should really get some sleep. You look very tired."

"I am. But I need to make sure Cori is okay."

"I understand. Why don't you sleep here?" Jean held her hand toward a closet, and a cot rolled out.

"Thank you…." Quip set up the cot and lay down on it, but didn't go to sleep. Jean left with Cori's blood sample and Quip yawned, slowly drifting into slumber.

The next morning, Quip was already awake when Jean came in with Xavier. Cori had returned to her human form.

"I'm sure she'll be waking up soon," Xavier said, nodding to Jean, who took the IV out of Cori's arm.

"Thank you for taking care of her," Quip said.

"It is our pleasure. And I hope the two of you will stay here with us."

"Yeah, sure. I think Cori would like that." Quip slid his gloved hand into Cori's. Cori stirred, making a small noise, and Quip turned to her.

"Cori?"

"Where are we…?" Cori asked weakly, her blue-green eyes opening slowly.

"You are at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters," Xavier said. "I am Professor Xavier, and this is Jean Grey."

Cori sat up slowly and looked around. She looked down at her bandaged foot.

"We're safe here, Cori," Quip said. "Professor Xavier said that there are other mutants like you, ones that can't be touched."

"Yes," Xavier added. "Her name is Rogue. I told her last night that you were here. She is very eager to meet you."

"Rogue…." Cori considered this for a moment.

"I'm sure the two of you will enjoy your time here. Please, make yourselves a home. I will have Ororo set up rooms for the two of you."

"Um, could we share a room?" Quip asked. Jean and Xavier exchanged glances.

"Cori can't be alone."

Xavier smiled. "Then, I'm sure Rogue would be more than willing to share hers with Cori."

"Then, what about Quip?" Cori asked.

"I'm sure we can find someone who will open their room up to him." Xavier smiled and led them out of the infirmary. Cori used the crutches that Jean had offered her.

"This school is a safe haven for mutants, such as yourselves, and all others, as well," Xavier explained as they entered the main hall. "I trust you'll find comfort, friendship, home, and family here."

Cori and Quip exchanged glances.

"Professor!" Rogue rushed up to them excitedly. "Is this Cori?"

"Yes," Cori said. "Are you Rogue…?"

"Yeah." Rogue smiled, offering her gloved hand. Cori stared at it for a moment, then shook it, smiling slightly.


	2. Chapter 2:  Understanding

Untouchable

Chapter 2: Understanding

"I'll show you everything about this school," Rogue said as she led Cori and Quip up to her room. "You'll really like it here, I know I do. And it's really great to meet someone like me."

"Yeah," Cori said. "I've never met anyone like me, either."

"This will be our room," Rogue opened her door, showing them the room, which now had two beds and two dressers. "I helped Storm set it up last night. I was so excited when the Professor told me you were here."

"Yeah…. What about Quip? Where is he going to stay?" Cori looked at him with concern.

"Hey, Rogue," Bobby came in, looking at the new comers.

"Oh, Cori, this is Bobby," Rogue smiled. "Bobby, this is Cori, the girl that the Professor told us about last night."

"Oh, so you're Rogue's new roomie." Bobby smiled and held his hand out to her. She stared at it for a moment, but didn't do anything.

"This is Quip…." Cori said.

"Oh, that's right," Bobby said. "I told Professor Xavier that you could room with me."

"Thank you." Quip said.

"Come on, I'll show you." Bobby left, Quip following after glancing at Cori. Cori started to follow.

"Hey, Cori, wait." Rogue said. Cori turned to her.

"I'm really happy that you came here."

"Honestly, Rogue, it was an accident. I was hurt and passed out when Quip brought me here. If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead."

"I know how you feel. A guy named Logan brought me here…. Sort of. I was with him when we were attacked, and then we ended up here. If it wasn't for me stowing away on his truck, who knows where I'd be, or if I'd even be alive."

Cori glanced at the door.

"Here, sit down," Rogue helped her over to one of the bed, and Cori sat down. Rogue sat next to her.

"I ran away after I accidentally killed a nurse when Quip was in the hospital…."

"I ran away after I put my boyfriend in a coma…. I understand how alone you must feel, not being able to touch the people you love. Not being able to have an intimate relationship with your boyfriend…."

"Yeah…. I've never met anyone who understands that…. Quip is always telling me how I'm so gifted, and there is nothing wrong with me…. And I love and appreciate him, but that doesn't mean that he understands. He wears those gloves so that he can touch me. Brush a hair out of my face, wipe away my tears…. But there is always that barrier there…."

"I know what you mean. All Professor Xavier told me was that you have an ability that makes you untouchable. What happens when you touch someone?"

"Their blood freezes on contact, freezing their entire body instantly, inducing immediate hypothermia and death…. What about you?"

"Wow…. I start to steal their life force…."

"Oh, that must be hard…."

"It is…."

"I also transform into a wolf every night. I think now that we're here, Quip is going to get me sedated every night so I won't hurt anyone."

"That's a good thing. If there's one thing I've learned from my time here, it's that you always have people who care about and support you."

"Yeah, that's nice…. I've never really had a family before. Except for Quip. He's always been there for me."

"What's Quip's mutation?"

"He can see the death date of people. And he can't die."

"He can't die? That's how Logan is."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, Logan's the best. If he was here, I'd introduce you." Rogue pulled Wolverine's dog tags out of her pocket. "But he left to find out some stuff about his past…."

"Oh…. I'm sorry…."

"Oh, no, it's fine. Yeah, I miss Logan, but I have Bobby."

"That's nice…."

Quip and Bobby came back in.

"Hey, Rogue," Bobby said, "Do you want to go grab something to eat?"

"Yeah, sure, Cori and Quip can come, too." Rogue smiled. Quip helped Cori up and they followed Bobby and Rogue to the kitchen.

"I think you'll really like it here, Cori," Quip said with a small smile. She nodded.

"I like any place, as long as you're with me…." Cori stopped as they walked by a room. She leaned close to it.

"What is it?" Quip asked.

"Shh…." Cori put her ear near the door. Rogue and Bobby turned to them.

"What are you doing?" Rogue asked.

"Cori can hear something…." Quip said. Rogue and Bobby exchanged glances, then huddled around the door, trying to listen, too.

"We have a reliable source that says Magneto is sending someone here," Cyclops told Jean, Storm, and Xavier inside the room.

"And who is this source?" Storm asked.

"A young mutant who goes by Ninja," Jean said.

"He told me that he was hiding out near Magneto, before the thing with Rogue. And that if for some reason, the plan went awry, he was going to send someone here to infiltrate and gain trust. Then, when we least expect it, they'd attack."

"Why are you telling us this now, Scott?" Xavier asked.

"You can't think those kids are with Magneto…." Storm said. "That poor girl wouldn't hurt a fly."

"And I would know if they had any malicious intent."

"Maybe they have been trained by Magneto to be able to resist your abilities," Cyclops offered.

"I think that you just don't trust them," Jean said.

"Scott," Storm continued, "That little girl has a power that is very frightening for her. And I mean no offense to the boy, but I don't think his abilities would have any appeal to Magneto. All the boy can do is see when someone will die, and cannot die himself. Magneto tends to recruit mutants with more….dangerous or destructive abilities."

"Maybe the girl wouldn't join without the boy. They seem to have that type of relationship. Or what if that isn't all that boy can do?"

"I am ashamed of you, Scott," Jean said. "That boy was scared half to death when he thought Cori wouldn't make it. And why would they hurt her just to get in here? Magneto knows that all he has to do is send them here, saying they had heard it was safe."

"Maybe they didn't mean to get hurt."

"Scott," Xavier said. "I think you are just being paranoid. It isn't everyday two young mutants come in, both with beautiful gifts, who need a home and have been running. Usually, we find them. I think you are over thinking what your friend Ninja has told you. Did it ever occur to you that Ninja may be working with Magneto?"

"No, Professor, I had never thought of that…."

"I understand your concern. But there is nothing dangerous about those two kids being here."

"I think we've heard enough," Quip said, grabbing Cori's hand. Cori nodded, and the four continued to the kitchen. Bobby got out a box of crackers and some cheese. Rogue grabbed some bottles of water, and they sat around the island.

"Who's Magneto, and what did he do to you?" Cori asked Rogue.

"Scott told me that Magneto was a bad guy," Quip said.

"He is," Bobby said. "He kidnapped Rogue and used her for an evil invention." Bobby put an arm around Rogue's shoulders, and she smiled slightly at him.

"It almost killed me, but Logan saved me. Magneto can control electromagnetic fields…. He was trying to mutate politicians so that they couldn't pass the mutant registration acts."

"Mutant registration?" Quip glanced nervously at Cori. "If they made us register, they'd lock up Cori because she can't control her power."

"They'd do that to Rogue, too," Bobby added.

"They'd lock me up because I'm a danger to everyone around me." Cori frowned. Quip held her hand comfortingly.

"You are not. Your powers are beautiful, and they make you special. Weren't you paying attention to what the Professor said?"

Cori nodded timidly. "But you don't understand, Quip. Just like Bobby can't understand. You can touch people. You can have human contact. And you deserve that."

"But so do you," Quip said. "And until you can, I won't either. Cori, when I think about you, I don't think about your mutation. I think of your sweetness and caring. I think of your warmth and your beautiful smile. I think of how much you care about people, especially me."

"See, Rogue, that's how I feel about you," Bobby said.

"Yo, Iceman!" Pyro strutted into the kitchen, smirking.

"Hi, Pyro…." Bobby sighed. "This is my new roommate, Quip. And this is Rogue's new roommate, Cori."

"What happened to you?" Pyro asked, glancing at the crutches and bandaged foot.

"I got caught in a bear trap…." Cori said sheepishly, shoving a slice of cheese into her mouth.

"How'd that happen?" Pyro smirked.

"It's none of your business, Pyro," Rogue said. "They're new here, so leave them alone."

"You're new? That's interesting. Where are you from?"

"We've been travelling," Quip said, glaring slightly at him. "But we are originally from Northeast Ohio."

"So what do you guys do? My man Iceman here is just what he sounds like, he's an ice man." Pyro smirked. "And I'm Pyro, I can control fire."

"But he can't make it," Bobby smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll probably want to stay away from Rogue," Pyro smirked, lowering his voice a little, as if Rogue wouldn't be able to hear her. "She hurts anyone she touches…. You have to stay away from ones like her."

Bobby hit him. "Don't say stuff like that! It's not Rogue's fault! And she would never hurt anyone!"

"It's fine, Bobby…." Rogue said. "He's right…."

"No," Quip glared. "He's wrong. Let me tell you something, _Pyro_, you won't live very long. Especially if you keep saying horrible things like that. You want to know what our powers are? Cori can't touch anyone because she freezes people on contact. And every night, she transforms into a wolf. Instead of criticizing people for things that they have no control over, maybe you should work on controlling your disgusting attitude."

Pyro stared at Cori for a moment.

"Figures that you'd make friends with the new freaks, Iceman." Pyro stood up.

"You know what, Pyro," Bobby said, also standing up, "Quip is right. And who are you to call anyone a freak? We are all mutants here. The only thing that makes someone a freak is how they treat other people. You're no better than Magneto…."

Pyro glared at him, then just left.

"Thanks for sticking up for us," Rogue said with a small smile.

"Yeah," Bobby said. "No one really has ever stood up to Pyro before. I guess they just didn't want to deal with it. That was pretty brave of you."

"Yeah," Quip said, looking at Cori. "Well, no one insults Cori and gets away with it. Cori is the sweetest person in the world."

Later that night, Bobby and Quip were in their room. Jean had given Cori a pill with a powerful sedative so that Cori would sleep through the night, even once she transformed.

"How'd you meet Rogue?" Quip asked.

"I met her when she came here. She's really a great person."

"I'm sure she is. I honestly believe that people like them, with the most burdening mutations, are the ones with the biggest hearts. They're better people than we could ever be."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. I mean, they have it harder than anyone else. That's why I vowed that I won't ever touch anyone until Cori can."

"That's a huge sacrifice. That's really noble of you."

"I'd do anything for Cori. She's my entire life. And thanks, for letting me room with you."

"No problem. It's better than hanging with Pyro all the time." Bobby smiled.


	3. Chapter 3:  Conflict

Untouchable

Chapter 3: Conflict

Cori and Quip transitioned easily into school, especially with the help of Rogue and Bobby.

"What do you think about this?" A woman with platinum blond hair and cold blue eyes asked a man who looked the same. They were standing in what looked like an office of some sort.

"I was hoping that they wouldn't make it to that place," the man sighed.

"Well, you can't change that now."

"We'll see about that. Even though our former teacher has the ability to manipulate minds, doesn't mean we can't get around that. You just have to wear this." The man handed her a shiny metal headband.

"What is this?" The girl looked carefully at the headband.

"It is lead, it will block Xavier's powers. If you wear that, you won't have to worry about him reading your mind and discovering our plan."

"Very clever, Ninja…." The woman smiled, sliding the headband onto her head.

"I knew that Cyclops would trust me…. All I had to do was pretend to be on his side."

"But…." The woman smiled slyly. "You weren't lying…. As if we would ever join that horrible Magneto…. Who does he think he is, waging that kind of war on humans?" She rolled her icy eyes. "Everyone knows that in order to take down those fools isn't by force, it's by deception, conspiracy, and infiltration…."

"Exactly, so begin the infiltration, Zerocat."

Zerocat smirked and left. Ninja smirked, picking up the phone that was in his office.

"Hello, Cyclops?" He feigned a frightened voice.

"Ninja?" Cyclops asked.

"I have been discovered by Magneto's followers…. I'm afraid I can't help you anymore…."

"I understand. Just keep yourself safe. And if you ever need a place to go, you can always come here."

"Thank you, Cyclops." Ninja hung up and smirked, satisfied.

Jean Grey opened the door after a knock. Zerocat stood there, looking very concerned.

"Hello, I'm looking for my daughter…."

"Oh, and who might you be?" Jean crossed her arms, giving Zerocat a suspicious look.

"My name is Kyana Wright."

"Wright?" Jean seemed a little interested. "Why would you look here for your daughter?"

"She ran off after she realized that she was a mutant, and I know that mutants can find safety here. I am a mutant, too. But I never had a chance to tell her. She ran off before I could."

"What is your daughter's name?"

"Cori. She would most likely be with a young boy named Quip."

"Why don't you come in and talk to Professor Xavier." Jean led her inside. "What is your ability?"

Zerocat closed her eyes and disappeared.

"Invisibility?" Jean nodded, considering this.

"Yes," Zerocat reappeared. "I have to be very careful with my powers. If anyone were to find out, I could possibly be completely outcast. After all, who would want an invisible person working in their store or living on their street?"

"I understand."

"But at least I can control my abilities. My Cori has never tried to, and I doubt she can. She has a very weak will."

"Yes, I have seen that. What do you plan on doing when you two leave?"

"Leave? I was hoping you would allow me to stay here with her. After all, she can never be safe outside of a place like this."

"That is true." They came to Xavier's office. "Professor, this is Cori's mother, Kyana."

"Ah, it's nice to meet you, Ms. Wright." Xavier smiled and shook her hand. "Cori is a lovely girl, and despite her mutation, she is adapting very well, with much thanks to a student named Rogue. The two get along very well and have a lot in common. But I must say, she wouldn't be comfortable at all without Quip."

"Yes, the two are inseparable." Zerocat smiled sweetly.

"She wanted to stay here," Jean said.

"Ah, yes. I think we can arrange that. Jean, why don't you and Ororo go prepare a room for Ms. Wright?"

Jean nodded and left.

"Please, call me Kyana, and I would really like to see my daughter."

"Yes, just as soon as the school day ends, I'll send for her."

"Cori," Storm came up to Rogue, Cori, Bobby, and Quip after class. "Professor Xavier wanted to see you."

"Um, can they come with me?" Cori asked, glancing at her friends.

"You are not in trouble," Storm smiled.

"Can I come, at least?" Quip asked. Storm nodded. They went to Xavier's office, where Zerocat was sitting calmly.

"Mom…?" Cori stared. Quip did, too.

"Miss Wright?" Quip grabbed Cori's hand, holding it tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see my baby," Zerocat stood up and lightly and carefully hugged Cori, who didn't react. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened, Cori…."

"Where's my brother?" Cori asked seriously, not seeming excited that her mother was here.

"What?" Zerocat asked.

"Where is Bill?" Quip asked skeptically. "The last time we saw you, he was with you. Then we ran away."

"Where is he?" Cori seemed a little desperate. Zerocat just stared at her.

"He left me a year ago."

"Why?"

"To look for you, Cori. He's been trying everything in order to find you."

"He has?"

"Of course he has. He's missed you terribly. And then he just disappeared in the middle of the night."

Cori and Quip exchanged glances.

"I don't think it would take Bill this long to track us down. Not with the way he is," Quip said, crossing his arms.

"So, Bill has been looking for me, but you haven't?" Cori looked away from Zerocat.

"Cori, I wanted to, but Bill was already looking…."

"So it was okay to forget about looking for her because Bill was?" Quip glared.

"No, it's not that…."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know…. I'm sorry, Cori…. I want to fix everything."

"I think it's a bit late for that," Quip grabbed Cori's hand and turned toward the door. "We'll be in the library with Rogue and Bobby if you need us, Professor." And they left.

"What did Professor Xavier want?" Rogue asked when Quip and Cori joined them in their usual library spot.

"Cori's mother came," Quip said, with some animosity in his voice. "But she didn't bring Bill, Cori's brother."

"Half brother…." Cori said sadly. "Bill and I have different fathers…."

~Flashback~

A young, maybe six year old Cori was playing with a boy a few years older than her with curly black hair and grey-blue eyes.

"Bill, why don't you go to school anymore?" Cori asked innocently. Bill smiled.

"Because I can't. I'm too smart for everyone."

"How?"

"Because I know everything about anything as soon as I touch it."

"So?"

"Well, the problem is, I can't always control my impulse to burst out with that information."

~End Flashback~

"Bill has a great power," Cori said. "When I ran away, he had pretty good control over it. He sometimes had problems with his impulses, but for the most part, he had it under control."

"Bill practically raised both of us," Quip said. "I never knew my dad, just like Cori, and my mom abandoned me when I was five. Cori and Bill found me, and I just stayed with them and Miss Wright. But she isn't a very good mother…."

"Oh, why is that?" Bobby asked. Quip wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"She's more concerned about her appearance than even her own children. Bill got all our food for us, and sometimes, we even had to scam to get it. Miss Wright spent all her money on clothes and make up and junk like that…."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Rogue said, putting a gloved hand on Cori's.

"It's not your fault…." Cori sighed. "I always just thought that if one of them would find us, it would be Bill. After all, he was the one who cared…."

"Is your mom a mutant?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure. And if she is, I don't know what her power is."

"Hi," Zerocat came up to them, a slight smile on her face. "Cori, could I talk to you?"

"No," Quip answered firmly.

"I was talking to Cori…."

"I don't care…."

"It's okay…." Cori said quietly. "Whatever it is you want to say to me, Mom, you can say in front of my friends…."

"Alright…." Zerocat sighed. "I found your father…. If you want to meet him…."

"No, I'd rather not…. I want to see Bill."

"I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do about that."

"Then maybe you should leave us alone," Quip glared. Zerocat sighed and left.

"There's something off about her…." Rogue said.

"Her death date isn't far off…." Quip muttered.

"It isn't?"

"I swore I would never tell anyone their death date. And I won't tell anyone someone else's death date, but that doesn't mean I won't say if it's soon or not. And hers is sooner than I would have thought."

"Well," Rogue stood up, "Come on, Cori, we have our session with Dr. Grey in a few minutes." Cori got up, too, and followed Rogue to Jean's office.

"Good afternoon, girls," Jean smiled. "How are you today?"

"Fine…." Cori muttered, looking away.

"Great. Now, have you been practicing how I told you?"

They nodded. Jean smiled.

"Wonderful. Close your eyes…."

They took their gloves off and obeyed, holding their hands in front of them, palms up. Jean placed small crystals on their hands.

Cori's crystals turned frosty. Rogue's turned black. Jean sighed.

"I'm sorry, but neither of you seem to have any change," she said. Cori and Rogue exchanged sad glances. They put the crystals is a small bowl on Jean's desk.

"These crystals simulate a living organism, and well, both of you are still causing them to essentially die."

"We really have been practicing," Rogue said. "We meditate every night, and focus our breathing and everything!"

"I believe you, and I know that you are working as hard as you can to find a way to control your powers. I just wish there was a way you could. But we'll keep practicing. Continue to do your meditations and breathings, and I'll see you both tomorrow."

Cori and Rogue nodded and left, sighing.

"I don't understand," Rogue sighed, plopping onto her bed that night. "We do everything Dr. Grey tells us, but there is no improvement."

Cori shrugged. "Maybe we just aren't supposed to have any control…. Maybe we are just supposed to be plagued with this curse until we die…."


	4. Chapter 4:  Mysteries

Untouchable

Chapter 4: Mysteries

"Cori…." Rogue said cautiously. "I know that your mother didn't really give you a great childhood, but if my mom came to find me, I would really be excited…."

"My mother was never there for me…. It wasn't even like she was my mother. And she is always working some angle. The only reason she even came here was probably because she needed something."

"Oh…. What could she possibly want, though?"

Cori shrugged. "Who knows…? It could be anything from money to a new boyfriend…."

"Well, you could always ask Professor Xavier what she was thinking…."

"Hm…. Yeah, I think that's a good idea…."

The next morning, Cori, Quip, Rogue, and Bobby went to Xavier's office.

"Excuse me," Quip said seriously. "But we wanted to know why Cori's mom is here…."

"Well," Xavier smiled kindly. "I'm sorry, but I don't like to reveal people's inner thoughts to others."

"Cori's mom isn't really that great of a parent."

"Yes, I am aware of that. And seeing as this is a rather sensitive issue with Cori and yourself, Quip, I must say that there was something unsettling about her…."

"What?"

"I could not read her mind."

"I knew it." Quip clenched his fists.

"This could simply be a part of her mutation."

"No, it isn't," Cori muttered. "Because Bill knows that she only has one mutation…."

"Wait a second!" Rogue smiled. "Hey, Professor, I know this is a little off topic, but could you find a certain mutant for us?"

"Well, I can try." Xavier smiled. "Cori, I will try to find your brother Bill. I'm sure that he misses you very much."

"How can you find him?" Quip asked.

"I have been able to construct a machine that helps me locate mutants. It helped us find Rogue when Magneto took her."

"It saved my life that you had that machine…." Rogue said.

"Would you really be able to find Bill?" Cori asked skeptically.

"Of course. Why don't you come with me?"

They followed Xavier down to Cerebro, but waited outside while he hooked up to the machine.

"Have you made contact?" Ninja asked Zerocat over the phone. She glanced around to make sure that no one was near her.

"Yes," Zerocat smirked, keeping her voice low. "But, as we expected, they are very suspicious of us."

"Can't you just sneak around with them?"

"Not with Quip there…. Even if I am invisible, since he as seen me before, he will see my death date. If he had never set eyes on me before, I would be able to go wherever they went."

"Damn that brat…."

"But, I know that they can't read my mind…."

"Perfect. You know what to do. Keep me updated."

"I will." Zerocat hung up. Cyclops turned down the hall she was in, and watched her carefully.

"Who were you on the phone with?" He asked suspiciously.

"A friend of mine," Zerocat smiled. "He is helping me look for my son. He has an amazing power, my boy."

"Really…? What might that be?"

"He has the ability to know everything about anything that he makes physical contact with. It's quite a useful power, don't you think?"

"It could be. But it could also be very dangerous."

"Like yours?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your power is useful when fighting your enemies, but isn't it dangerous, as well?"

"If you are going to say that, then I suppose everyone's abilities are dangerous."

"Not Quip. He has a rather bland power, doesn't he? All he can do is tell someone when they are going to die. But the boy won't let anyone know because he feels it isn't his place to say. You know, I think he's always been a little bit jealous of my children, having such powerful mutations while his is so…. Useless, I guess…."

"Useless? How can you even say that about him? I thought you raised him."

"I did, which is how I know that he feels that way."

"You don't understand him. How can you even think that he feels that way about them? Have you ever looked at his power from his point of view? How stressful it must be, knowing when the people he cares about will die. And knowing, but not being able to do anything about it. It must be horrible for him. Because he sees the final date of their death, which will not change. And he can't warn them, because if he did, it wouldn't have been that day that they died on anyway, so there is nothing he can do about it."

"Yes, but…. He can't exactly do anything with his mutation, can he?"

"That is a horrible thing to say."

"Well, it is true, isn't it?"

"What about your son, then? What can he do with his power?"

"He is a super genius because of his power, so he can do whatever he wants."

"Maybe Cori was right to be suspicious of you. I will be keeping an eye on you…."

Zerocat smirked as he walked past her.

Xavier emerged from Cerebro.

"Well?" Quip asked.

"I have found him."

"Where is he?" Cori asked excitedly.

"He's in Cleveland. I will have Ororo take you there in the morning."

"Thank you, Professor…." Cori smiled sincerely. He smiled kindly, leading them back up stairs.

"Professor Xavier," Bobby said. "Can we go, too?"

"Yeah, I mean, Cori's the best friend I've ever had," Rogue said. "I want to be able to help her find her brother."

"Yes, I understand. And I think it would be a wonderful idea for you to accompany Cori and Quip."

So, the next day, Storm, Cori, Quip, Rogue, and Bobby boarded a commercial jet, setting off for Cleveland.

"I can't wait to see him," Cori told Quip, who smiled gently, brushing her cheek carefully with his gloved hand.

"Maybe he can figure out a way to make you touchable…."

Cori looked away, her gaze going out the window. "You know that isn't possible. In order to do that, he'd have to touch me. And if he touched me…."

"I know. I'm sorry…."

"No, don't be."

"Why would you brother be in Cleveland?" Bobby asked. Cori looked at him blankly. Quip patted her arm gently.

"We don't know," Quip said. "His power kind of makes him a little radical and spontaneous. It's always been a concern of ours that his brain will go into over load and crash."

"Yeah," Rogue said quietly. "Because your brain can only hold so much information, and everything he touches, he automatically knows everything about, so that's almost a constant flow of new information."

"His mutation is almost like ours," Cori muttered. "A curse…."

"Don't you ever say that!" Storm and Quip said at the same time.

"You're mutation is beautiful," Storm continued. "Even though you may not see it that way, it is."

"She's right, Cori." Quip put his arm around her shoulders. "Your powers are amazing. I wouldn't have you any other way…."

Cori didn't say anything. Rogue sent her an understanding look.

After a while, it was announced that they would be landing soon. When they did land, the five mutants made their way into the city.

"What does your brother look like?" Storm asked, looking around.

"He's a large person. He's over 6 feet. His skin tends to have a reddish hue about it. He likes wearing this gray coat. He has steel blue eyes and a curly black mini afro. He has glasses, too," Cori said thoughtfully.

"Alright, everyone," Storm looked at Quip, Rogue, and Bobby. "I'm going to go this north, and you can go south. I want you all to stick together. We will meet back here in two hours."

They nodded, and Storm left.

"Where would he be?" Bobby asked.

"Well, he likes computers…." Cori said quietly.

"Maybe an internet café?" Rogue suggested.

"That's a great place to start." Quip nodded. The four looked around, finding three internet cafes, none of them with Bill in them.

"Quip?" A sort of deep voice said from behind them. The four young mutants turned.

"Bill!" Cori said, running up to him, but not hugging him. She just stared, a slight smile on her face.

"Hey, sis." Bill smiled.

"Where have you been?" Quip asked seriously.

"Around. You know how it goes."

"These are our friends," Cori gestured to Rogue and Bobby. "Rogue and Bobby. They go to our school."

"You are going to school?" Bill raised a suspicious eyebrow at Quip.

"Mutant school," Rogue said. "Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm a lot like Cori. I can't touch people, either."

"And I'm Bobby. Or, you can call me Iceman." Bobby smiled. Bill nodded.

"You can call me Bill, since that is my name."

"Will you come back to the school with us?" Cori pleaded. Bill looked around at all four of the young mutants, considering this offer.

"Sure, why not!" Bill said. Cori smiled happily.


End file.
